Two Glynns give Clippers an edge

PORTSMOUTH — Every time 6-foot-3 forward Joey Glynn does something good, which over the last few weeks has been often, the Portsmouth High School student section clips off a favorite chant:

“He’s a fresh-man!”

One who’s getting his applause ahead of schedule.

The second-seeded Clippers (18-2) are looking for a spot in the Division II championship game for the third time in four years, which they’ll gain by beating No. 3 Lebanon (17-3) in the semifinals Thursday at the University of New Hampshire. The games were pushed back a day by the NHIAA due to an inclement weather forecast.

Go back to December and this was a Portsmouth season where gratification might have easily gotten delayed, too.

Glynn was a project back then, the little brother of senior forward Pat Glynn, a known quantity and one of two returning starters. But he wasn’t expected to make an impact on the varsity, though his height would have made him the tallest player on a modestly-sized roster. So he played on the JV.

“He couldn’t run three plays in the beginning of the year and that’s why he couldn’t be out there,” said Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey, “that and (missing) the defensive rotations.”

For the past dozen games, with the Glynn brothers together in the frontcourt for big minutes, the results have been good — just one loss. Joey scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a rout of No. 15 Milford in the prelims.

In Saturday’s quarterfinal against No. 7 Plymouth, a game with all kinds of emotional subplots for the home team going back to last year’s quarterfinal loss — and for players like his big brother, going back to football season — he had nine points and 17 rebounds, a huge part of a cathartic, 44-29 win.

Now, the Clippers are headed back to UNH after a one-year absence. So, presumably, are the chants.

“The kid is unreal and he’s only going to get better,” said senior guard Donovan Phanor. “The sky’s the limit for Joey Glynn. I can’t wait ‘til we get to UNH and then everybody’s going to see him shine.”

***

The brothers Glynn, one inch, three years and several pounds of muscle mass apart, grew up playing sports together, including a lot of basketball.

“Always playing at the Connie Bean all the time, the old one,” said the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Pat, an All-State lineman in football. “There was a small break in that during middle school, because we weren’t in the same school. But we were always playing together at home.”

Two years ago, Joey passed his brother, height-wise, though it didn’t translate to superiority.

“Pat was the older player,” said Joey. “He was smarter, faster and definitely stronger.”

On the varsity, instead of a freshman curiosity, Joey has become been an asset, especially after junior forward De’vonn Wilson-Miles, an opening-night starter, was asked to leave the team at midseason.

“Joey’s just grown up so much,” said Mulvey, “and I don’t think it could have happened without Pat. He’s the best big brother and the best teammate.”

The older Glynn is a natural protector, a well-spoken gentle giant whose extra-curricular activities include the “Friends of Rachel,” a group that works to prevent bullying and violence, and teen suicide. He’s enjoyed this stretch of ball as much as anyone, even if he admittedly didn’t expect it.

“It’s incredible,” said Pat. “At the start of the season he wasn’t supposed to be as big with De’vonn on the team. We all knew he was going to be good, maybe not this year but in the future.

“Then he got a chance to come in and step up. He was ready to step up to the plate and he’s done really well.”

One of the toughest nights of the season for the Clippers — a 42-38 defeat at Hollis-Brookline on Jan. 24, the last time they lost before this 13-game win streak — was a good one for the younger Glynn.

“That’s when I had the most playing time,” said Joey. “De’vonn was in foul trouble. I didn’t necessarily have a good game, but I played a lot and the game after that, against Goffstown (a 70-37 win where he scored 14 points), I felt super-comfortable with all the plays and all my teammates.”

Mulvey thought, after the first month or so after practice began, his freshman “hit a wall” and might not be contributing to the varsity until next year.

“At the beginning of the season I felt a huge lack of focus,” Joey agreed. “When we’d run through plays I wouldn’t pay attention and when I went into the games I felt like a deer in the headlights.”

Now he doesn’t even feel like a freshman.

“He’s grown up a ton,” said junior guard Charlie Lehoux. “He’s a sophomore now. He’s working hard, gets a bunch of boards. He needs to bulk up a little bit, but he’ll get there.”

***

The start against Plymouth on Saturday was dicey. On the team’s first possession, leading scorer Phanor, a pretty good shooter who has a pretty good sense of what constitutes a good shot, took a 3-point try from the top of the key that hit backboard, but no rim.

The home team trailed 9-4 early on, missing 10 of its first 11 shots.

“We just weren’t clicking,” said Phanor. “The defense was good but the offense was getting rushed. I was taking rushed shots that weren’t in rhythm. As soon as we started to get it down underneath, starting to feed Joe and Pat, that’s when we started to get rolling.”

If Joey’s been a freshman bonus to this team, Pat’s the security blanket. His football lineman body lets him play bigger than his 6-foot-2, and he’s averaging better than a double-double, about 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Two days later, Mulvey was still chuckling at the box-out that saw his forward’s wide hips pushing back his man until he landed on his butt at the foul line.

“Pat’s the glue for us,” said Mulvey. “He makes sure he’s in position all the time, using his legs. He was literally falling to the floor on that.

“He’s irreplaceable. He’s been so good for us he last two years.”

The older Glynn is still waiting to hear back from some colleges and prep schools he’s applied to. He’d like to play college football, either in the fall or after a prep year.

For a little while longer, though, he’s glad to continue his role as big brother/mentor.

“He always tells me to stay calm,” said Joey. “He’ll notice when I’m going all over the place because I wasn’t relaxed. It’s definitely comfortable with my brother on the team.”

Playing a much bigger role than either expected at the start of the season.

“I always wanted it to happen, but I didn’t really expect it to happen except for a couple games, some of those glory minutes,” said Pat. “But now he’s starting. Going to the semifinals, starting with my brother out there, it’s awesome. It gives a whole different feel to the game and it’s a lot more fun.”